Welsh parking accounts 2012/1317 Apr 2014

Welsh councils generate £8.7 million parking ‘profit’

Between them the 22 parking authorities in Wales made a surplus (‘profit’) of £8.7 million in 2012/13.

Cardiff had the biggest surplus at £2.6 million.

This was followed by Swansea (£1.3 million) and Gwynedd (£800,000).

Of the 22 councils, only five – Torfaen, Flintshire, Newport, Vale of Glamorgan and Blaenau Gwent – recorded a deficit (‘loss’) on their parking activities.

The overall profit is 7% below that seen in the previous year (£9.3 million).

The numbers are revealed in analysis by transport consultant David Leibling of the official accounts councils must legally make each year to the Welsh Government.

The surplus or deficit is calculated by taking parking income (on- and off-street parking charges and penalties) and deducting the costs of providing the parking. This is the full surplus/deficit table going back to 2007/8:

Surplus (in £,000s)

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

% change 2012-13 on 2011-12

1

Cardiff

2322

2873

2909

1928

2788

2586

-7%

2

Swansea

607

467

1572

1254

1426

1256

-12%

3

Gwynedd

886

765

895

568

692

804

16%

4

Denbighshire

783

674

707

740

741

677

-9%

5

Conwy

508

568

292

468

458

560

22%

6

Carmarthenshire

761

358

288

241

387

487

26%

7

Rhondda Cynon Taf

168

228

456

467

353

478

35%

8

Monmouthshire

886

716

626

593

719

461

-36%

9

Powys

611

585

655

641

245

358

46%

10

Merthyr Tydfil

400

378

340

309

137

340

148%

11

Bridgend

900

706

621

372

436

300

-31%

12

Ceredigion

122

161

255

330

351

287

-18%

13

Pembrokeshire

78

39

102

134

262

264

1%

14

Neath Port Talbot

-148

-214

-271

-84

283

247

-13%

15

Wrexham

321

361

403

491

520

240

-54%

16

Caerphilly

204

198

219

57

232

162

-30%

17

Isle of Anglesey

-26

-31

71

89

51

55

8%

18

Torfaen

-97

-93

-78

-194

-94

-39

-59%

19

Flintshire

-134

-130

-215

-82

-112

-100

-11%

20

Newport

864

484

608

417

-191

-206

8%

21

Vale of Glamorgan

-171

-126

-98

-18

-123

-238

93%

22

Blaenau Gwent

-285

-307

-231

-245

-285

-311

9%

Total

9561

8661

10126

8476

9277

8668

-7%

The report also shows that while the overall surplus is down slightly year on year, the income figure for all councils from parking (before costs are deducted) is now at a record high of £30.4 million.

Cardiff (£6.2 million) and Swansea (£4.4 million) top the income table followed by Carmarthenshire (£2.1 million).

One reason why the national surplus figure has fallen despite a record level of income is because the cost to councils of running their parking operations (£21.8 million) has been rising.

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:

“The beauty of these numbers is that they are official. None of the councils can dispute the calculations because this is the data they themselves submit to the Welsh Government.

“As ever with parking the story is less about the numbers and more about what the councils are trying to achieve. Parking must always be about managing congestion, not raising money and we would recommend that all local authorities produce an annual parking report detailing their parking strategy.

“Most people, including drivers, recognise the need for parking enforcement. You only have to look at the chaos caused in Aberystwyth back in 2011 when the restrictions were removed. But in many areas of the UK trust between motorists and councils is in short supply. Transparency over parking policy would go a long way to rebuilding the relationship.”

The RAC Foundation is a transport policy and research organisation that explores the economic, mobility, safety and environmental issues relating to roads and their users. The Foundation publishes independent and authoritative research with which it promotes informed debate and advocates policy in the interest of the responsible motorist.